UK’s Serious Fraud Office secures second deferred prosecution agreement – this time with the UK Subsidiary of US Corporate
Lord Justice Leveson has approved the Serious Fraud Office’s (“SFO’s”) second application for a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (“DPA”). The Agreement is with a company which cannot be named because of continuing related legal proceedings. The first DPA was with ICBC Standard Bank in December 2015. Further agreements under the DPA […]
Beyond the Bribery Act
A recent petition heard in the Scottish Court of Session Outer House has highlighted the wide-ranging implications of the Bribery Act 2010 in the UK beyond the criminal offences of the Act itself. The petition was brought by the former Chief Executive of a company, Mr Gray, who participated in […]
What states should know about breach of fiduciary duty
This week’s tip-sheet covers claims for breach of fiduciary duty which can be brought against public officials who have been involved in conduct contrary to their duty to act in the state’s best interests. We detail potential defendants and explain the principles that need to be established at court (and […]
What states should know about proprietary claims to corrupt assets
This tip-sheet gives a summary of proprietary claims. This type of claim arises where a state’s property has been stolen, or wrongfully transferred away, such as property sold below market value as a result of bribery. It is a claim for a specific asset or sum of money, which can […]
Introducing illicit enrichment in the UK: a proposal by Transparency International UK
Too often, for a variety of reasons, law enforcement agencies are unable to take meaningful action against assets suspected to be corrupt. That might be, for example, because the state that has suffered corruption is unable or unwilling to provide supporting information to UK law enforcement in time for action […]
Using insolvency powers to make claims for fraud: important Supreme Court decision
Companies are habitually used as part of a corruption scheme. Such companies often have only a single director, or a small number of directors, and are beneficially owned by the wrong-doers. Insolvency powers can be effective tools to obtain compensation for victims of fraud or corruption, in the right circumstances. […]
Privy Council Clarifies When Innocent Bank is Liable to Victims of Theft
To what extent must a bank make inquiries as to the commercial purpose of a transaction, particularly a transaction involving an offshore structure? And when is a bank liable to compensate a victim of theft for receiving funds deriving from stolen assets and using them for its own benefit? These […]
International enforcement of English asset recovery judgments: an overview
Civil proceedings brought by the state are one mechanism to recover the proceeds of crime, or to claim compensation for corrupt acts: as discussed in our previous post Recovering the proceeds of corruption: an overview. Typically, substantial corruption cases are international in scope and the proceeds of a corrupt transaction […]
Can I sue a bribing competitor in England?
Companies are competing to win a contract. One pays a bribe to exclude its competitor from the bidding process, or to win the contract. If caught, it faces prosecution under the UK’s Bribery Act 2010, as do its bribing directors or employees. The bribing company also risks termination of its contract […]
Who owns a bribe: the bribed public official or the defrauded state?
A public official receives a bribe to award a contract. Does the bribe “belong” to the official or to the state that he or she represents? The answer to the question can matter a great deal to the success of a claim. But the issue has been controversial and the […]